Marble shooter



Sept. 19, v1939. c. D. PIPER f MARBLE SHOOTER Filed llay' 8. 19.37

` :inventor Chares 055mb A attorney Patented Sept. 19, 1939 UNITED y STATES PATENT OFFICE 14 Claims.

l'This invention relates to marble shooters and particularly tov devices for discharging a marble or A"other'spherical object Aunder a spring-derived impetus.

i An object off "the 'invention is `to provide a shooter for' 'discharging marbles or like projectiles under impetus'of aspring, and to adapt su'ch spring to'be predeterminedlystressed by'insertion of a projectile to its discharge position.

rAnother Yobject is to "adapt the springto be adjusted to regulate the force underV which a projectile is discharged. v

iA further object is toprovide a shooter for marbles lor 'the like comprising an elongated iiat spring secured at'one end to a support having a marble inlet, and having its other or free end normally vblocking said inlet, 'the spring being so diverged to the support by marble insertion that its retractile pressure vigorously vdischarges the marble in the direction of the spring length'.

These and various other objects are attained by the vconstruction hereinafter described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 Ais a top plan view-of the marble shooter, as adapted 'tol use on acircular game board.

Fig. y2 is a longitudinal, sectionalview of the same, taken on the line`2e-2 of Fig.-1.

Fig. 3 is 'a somewhat similar view, showing a marble inserted to its initial discharge position. Fig. 4 Yis a longitudinal sectional view Yof an alternative *form' of the invention.

Fig. 5 is a'top plan View of the same. Fig. 6k is a cross section taken on the line 6=6 of Figs4.

lIn that `vembodiment of theinvention illustrated in Figs, 1 3, the reference character I designates an elongated sheet metal plate, having a longitudinal edge portion 2 thereof bent at a right angle, for mountingthe plate on any desired support. The support illustrated is a Wall 3, upturned at theedge ofa circular 'game board 4, the portion 2 being secured'to said wall by rivets 5 or other fasteners. Thus the plate YI is horizontally mounted, at a 'desired level above the game board. u

Disposed beneath the plate I, is an elongated flat springt, held at one end'against the plate by an anchorage member Y#'l, its other end portion being free and arranged to normally obstruct a circularinletil in the plate. When amarble 9 isvforce'd -downwardly through said' inlet, the spring 6 is distorted,as shown in Fig. 3, the resulting inclination of the `spring,a`s it'b'ears Yupon the marble, being lsuiilci'entitoipropel the 'llatter with considerable force across the A-free end of the spring.

It is desirable to provide for regulation of the propulsive force derived 'from the spring, and this is accomplished in a'simple manner by varying its eiective length. VThus the anchorage means 1 is preferably a vslide piece surmounting the plate I and having its connection or connections to the spring 'engaged in one or more slots IIJ of the plate, elongated toward the inlet 8. Suchl slots provide for a sliding adjustment of the spring, 4varying its extent between the inlet and slide piece, the latter serving as an actuator. The spring and slide piece may be conveniently and Vinexpensively interconnected by forming the latter, at its ends, with a pair "of tongues I I, projecting downwardly through the slots `I 0 and suitable slits in the spring, and terminally bent to engage beneath the spring, as best vappears in Fig.l2. Preferably'the plate `I is-dented up adjacent to a-lateral margin of the -slide piece to forman index line I2, with which may be registered any of several'gauge lines I3, scored in the slide piece along such'margin, thus forming anr indicator permitting ready establishment of the spring in a desired position.

A Vslightly raised lip I4 is Ypreferably formed marginally of the inlet 8,-inits portion nearestthe free end of the spring, as a guide inserting a marble through such inlet.

VAs shown in Fig. 2, the spring is adjusted to minimize its eiectiveflengtnso that its distortion, lon insertion of a marblewillgenerate a maximum propulsive force. In Fig, A3, the effective length ofthe spring is shown'as *a maXimum, its propulsive force, under distortion, being minimized.

Figs. 4, 5,'and 6 illustrate a'form of the invention designed to beheld in the hand in shooting a marble. Thus l5 indicates a light metal tube, having Va longitudinal, central portion I6 of its top flattened, and gradually inclined downwardly as it extends forwardly, and having a marble Vinlet Il in its topbetween such portion and the forward-end ofthe tube. Interiorly of the tube, there is mounted an elongated `ilat spring I8, secured at its rear end to the corresponding end of said ilattened portion by rivets I9or the like. The-forward end portion of said spring normally obstructs vthe inlet `Il, being, however, spaced beneath the same, a distanceapproximately equal to the radius of a marble :20 to be inserted through such inlet. A bell crank lever-is pivoted within the tube, beneath the spring, by a pin 2I transversely-set into thetube, one arm 22 of said lever projecting normally zupjwardly at va rearward inclination, and the other arm 23 projecting rearwardly at a downward inclination, through a slot 24 in the tube bottom.

In use of said shooter, the thumb of a hand gripping the rear portion of the tube, serves to press a marble through the inlet I1', distorting the spring downwardly, as appears in dash lines in Fig. 4. As soon as the marble is fully within the tube, the spring discharges it, with considerable force through the front end of the tube.

One or more ngers of a hand, gripping the tube may exert any desired degree of upward pressure on the bell crank arm 23 to regulate freedom of action of the spring. Such upward pressure rocks the arm 22 forwardly to bear against the spring at a distance from its anchorage, thus reducing freedom of action of the spring, while increasing the force required for its distortion and hence that applied to the marble, when discharged.

It has been mentioned that the spring, in this form of the invention, is normally so spaced beneath the inlet Il as to permit insertion of a marble approximately half way through the inlet before engaging the spring. This minimizes the effort involved in inserting the marble, without sacrice of propulsive eiect, since such effect is lost when the forward edge of the retracting spring clears the center of a discharging marble.

While the invention has been described and shown for marble purposes, it is readily apparent that it may be designed to shoot any spherical object having a hard, smooth surface,

The invention is presented as including all such modifications and changes as come within the scope of the following claims.

What claim is:

l. A shooter comprising a supporting member having an inlet for a projectile, an elongated fiat spring for energizing the projectile having a free end portion normally obstructing and fiexible to and from the inlet, and means anchoring the other end portion of the spring remotely from the inlet axis upon the supporting member, adapting the spring for lengthwise bodily adjustment toward the inlet, whereby the effective length of the spring may be varied and distortion of the spring resulting from insertion of a projectile may be regulated.

2. A shooter as set forth in claim l, the supporting member being slotted toward the inlet to adjustably accommodate the anchoring means.

3. A shooter comprising a supporting member having an inlet for a projectile, and having a slot elongated toward the inlet, said inlet and slot extending between relatively reverse faces of the supporting member, an elongated fiat spring for .energizing the projectile, disposed on one of said faces of the supporting member and having a free end portion obstructing said inlet, and a slide piece mounted on the other of said faces of the supporting member and having an anchorage connection to the other end portion of said spring established through said slot, whereby the spring may be bodily adjusted toward the inlet, to vary its stress reaction to introduction of a projectile through the inlet.

4. A shooter comprising a member having an inlet for a projectile, an elongated flat spring having an end portion anchored remotely from said inlet and having its other end portion so obstructing the inlet, as to be exed from the inlet by introduction of a projectile, and means effective on the spring to regulably vary its stress reaction to a projectile.

5. A shooter comprising a member having an inlet, a spring anchored upon such member remotely from the inlet and having an end portion normally obstructing the inlet, whereby the spring may be stressed by insertion of a projectile through the inlet, and means for imposing pres sure on the spring at a point between its anchored end and the inlet to increase the stress reaction of the spring to an inserted projectile.

6. A shooter comprising a tube having at a point between its ends an inlet for a projectile, and having an open end for discharge of the projectile, an ejector spring for the projectile,

disposed within the tube, and having a free end portion normally obstructing the inlet and adapted to be diverged from the inlet, under stress, by insertion of a projectile, the stiffness of the spring boing adequate to eect a forceful discharge of the projectile, through coaction with the margin of the inlet, and means for anchoring the spring 13o the tube at a distance from the inlet such as to afford the spring a desired flexure, said spring extending from its anchoring means toward the open end of the tube.

'7, A shooter as set forth in claim 6, the portion of the spring obstructing the inlet being so normally diverged from the inlet and toward the axis of the tube, as to be increasingly diverged by insertion of a propectile.

8. A shooter comprising a tube having an inlet between its ends for a projectile and open at one end for the discharge of the projectile, a spring in said tube for discharging a projectile, said spring being subject to its discharge stress by insertion of a projectile through the inlet, and a member pivotally carried by the tube having a manually actuable portion projecting from the tube and a portion within the tube effective on the spring to regulate its stress engendered by insertion of a projectile.

9. A shooter comprising an elongated hat propulsive spring, a support for such spring, and means securing an end portion of the spring to the support, the other end portion of the sprl. g being free, the spring extending for its major length alongv and in normal proximity to a face of the support, and the support having an opening exposing said free end portion and serving for insertion of alprojectile between said face and such free end portion, the free end portion being flat and flexible, under pressure of an inserted projectile, to an acute divergency to said face, and having a stiffness adequate, when the pro jectile is fully inserted, to effect coaction of the spring with said face in discharging the projectile from the shooter across the free end of the spring.

l0. A shooter comprising a supporting member having a projectile inlet and having a slot elongated toward such inlet, a spring for energizing the discharge of a projectile from the shooter, a slide piece, for adjusting the spring to vary its effect on a projectile, said spring and slide piece being on opposite sides of the supporting me ber, and a connection extending through said slot for anchoring the spring upon the slide piece.

11. In a shooter as set forth in claim 10, indicia associated with said slide piece and support for establishing definite positions of` adjustment of the slide piece.

, 12. A shooter as set forth in claim 10, the support being dented adjacent to the slide to form an index, and the slide having gauge markings selectively registrable with such index in different adjustments of the slide piece.

13. A shooter comprising an elongated flat propulsive spring, a support for such spring, means securing an end portion of the spring to the support, the other end portion of the spring being free, the spring extending along and in normal proximity to a face of the support, and the support having an opening exposing said free end portion and serving for insertion of a projectile between said face and such free end portion, the free end portion being flat and iiexible, under pressure or" an inserted projectile, to an acute divergency to said face, and `having a stiffness adequate, When the projectile is vfully inserted, to eiect coaction of the spring with said face in discharging the projectile from the shooter across the free end of the spring, and means for regulably varying the stress reaction of the spring to a projectile.

14. A shooter comprising an elongated flat propulsive spring, a support for such spring, and

means securing an end portion of the spring to the support, the other end portion of the spring being free, the spring extending along and in normal proximity to a face of the support, and the support having an opening exposing said free end portion and serving for insertion of a projectile between said face and such free en d portion, the free end portion being flat and flexible, under pressure of an inserted projectile, to an acute divergency to said face, and having a stiffness adequate, when the projectile is fully insertecl, to eect coaction of the spring with said. face in discharging the projectile from the shooter across the free end of the spring, the securing means comprising an element carrying the spring and adjustable on the support to and from the inlet, whereby the effective length of the spring may be varied to regulate the stress reaction of the spring to an inserted projectile.

CHARLES D. PIPER. 

